


Mask AU World Building

by yalltookmyusernameideas



Series: Mask AU [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Pre-Episode: Accepting Anxiety, mask au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-04 03:20:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21190703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yalltookmyusernameideas/pseuds/yalltookmyusernameideas
Summary: A selection of information and asks about the Mask AU from my Tumblr





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First up, Mask designs!!

**The Dark Sides**

Deceit - Phantom of the Opera style, covers human half, designed to look like snake scales, so he looks like basically full snake.  
Anxiety - looks kinda like a plague doctor’s mask? More stylized obviously, I just like the idea of the beak for whatever reason. Mask’s expression looks like perpetual worry.  
Remus - A V for Vendetta mask but with curse words written all over it. (Yes he put them there and no he doesn’t regret it)

The dark sides masks are unique in that they obscure their eyes. They can see clearly out of their masks, but to an onlooker they would appear emotionless.

Deceit is the only exception, since his mask only covered half his face. He is very good at holding a neutral expression.

**The Light Sides**

The main three light sides have all broken their masks. They have a glass frame hanging on the wall in the Commons, housing two large pieces of each of their masks.

Patton’s mask resembled a cat, of course. It was the only mask made of a soft, flexible material. The fleece was a mixture of light and dark grey, and interestingly enough the little kitty ears would respond to his emotions. He was the only side to have to cut their mask rather than just snap it. His mask covered his whole face except his mouth, and you could still clearly see his eyes.

Roman’s mask is in a beautifully intricate masquerade ball style. It didn’t so much hide hide his face as it did serve the protective function; keep his secrets and regulate his functions. It’s an intricate, lacey mask of red and gold, with ruby red gems defining his brow. There was a single black rose that would rest just above his left ear. His mask only covered his eyes, though you could still see them.

Logan’s mask was simple, very similar to those you might find in a craft store, but instead of smooth, contoured lines, every change in shape was angular and geometric. The color of each individual shape varied, matching up with one of the original Rubik’s cube colors (Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and white). His mask covered his whole face. Originally, you could not see his eyes, but when the sides split into two groups and he stayed with the lights, they became visible.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous Asked: So for the mask AU, is it just in the mindscape or does Thomas and real world people have masks in the AU with the same properties too?

Just the mindscape! Though, Thomas will see their masks when they appear in the real world. Thomas knows they have them, and he knows that the light sides got rid of theirs. 

Thomas has never seen the masks of the original three because they got rid of them long before they started making videos. It played a huge factor in the divisions of light and dark sides, those who wanted to keep the masks and those who wanted them gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous Asked: For the mask AU, could a side take off their mask and accidentally loose it or get it stolen? You specified that only the person who's mask it is can break it, but what about if it gets stolen or lost? What then?

Oh this is interesting I love it!

So short answer: yes, a mask can be stolen or lost. It’s like any other article of clothing, minus the power it holds.

But long answer: the longer an unbroken mask is missing, the worse things are for whichever side is missing theirs. Unless broken, masks are a part of the side. They have a connection to it. That connection can’t be broken by distance, but without the mask to help regulate their function, there’s a lot of stress put on the side.

The main three are used to it. Sure, things would be different. If Roman still had his mask, Daydream mode wouldn’t be a thing. If Patton still had his mask, he might not struggle with repressing his bad feelings. If Logan had his mask, he might not make infinitesimal mistakes.

But they’ve grown used to being without their masks. They no longer need or long for that crutch.

Anxiety is not used to being without his mask. He can’t remember the last time he took it off on his own, let alone in front of someone else. If he were to break his mask, he’d have a lot of adjusting to do. Currently, he wouldn’t have the support network he needs to go through with it. But he might, eventually.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lecterspectre asked: Do any of the "Dark" sides ever try to steal masks?

No, not really. They wouldn’t have too much of a chance to steal from the light sides, as they all broke theirs within a year or two of the split, and they wouldn’t take from each other because that’s what unifies them.

Of course, that doesn’t stop Remus from threatening to do just that.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous asked: For the mask au, what was it like when the others took off their masks? What made them decide to do that? What did their masks look like?

Y’all have such good questions thank you!!!

Okay, so I describe the masks in chapter 1. I’m not much of an artist so I don’t have visuals, sadly.

They decided to take off their masks in Thomas’s teen years! Being a teenager is tough, and with all the miscommunication and confusion the masks could cause, Patton thought it a good idea to remove that barrier. Logan and Roman agreed.

Deceit, Remus, and Anxiety disagreed. Originally, they weren’t kicked out or shunned, they were still a family, just some of them didn’t wear their masks all the time. It was when they three lights decided to break their masks that Dee asked Anxiety and Remus to leave with him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous Asked: For the Mask AU, can they swap masks? Like, side A wears side b's mask while B wears A's? If so, what would happen?

They could wear another side’s mask, but it wouldn’t be able to replace their own. So it’d affect them like they just weren’t wearing their mask.

Patton and Roman used to swap masks when they were little, just for a while. It was fun! But they never could for too long, because then Pat might start crying, or Ro might get too boisterous, and by then simply switching back can’t fix it. So they have to be careful.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ashensanity asked: For the Mask AU, if you take off the mask and leave it off permanently, does it feel different from when you break the mask? Like can you still feel like a connection to the mask??

You’re absolutely correct!

Because of the connection, they’d feel it if their mask was off but in another room. It’d be like a constant itch. The only way to permanently disconnect oneself from the mask is by breaking it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doggo Anon asked: Okay so you mention there’s like powers and stuff, do the masks just dim/heighten their trait? Like Logan is even smart and more robot like with the mask and Virgil’s anxiety is more controlled or?

The masks don’t so much as heighten/dull a trait as they do regulate it.

A good example would be Logan. Without the mask Logan is more prone to making mistakes. It’s less because he’s “smarter” with it on and more because it regulates his emotions so he’s functioning optimally for a logical facet.

This is why Logan denying he has feelings is a problem! His complete negligence of even the _idea_ he has feelings negatively affects his performance as Logic, because for someone as emotions-oriented as Thomas, emotions _will_ play a part in Logical decoration making.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous Asked: Any extra info on the dark sides (including Virge, if you want) you want to share from the Mask AU?

They’re really bitter that Virge tries switching sides after all this time, but they’re not really mad. After all, he’s family, and they want him to be happy. They just wish that happiness included them.

Of course, they don’t tell him this and they don’t make it obvious. So for all Virgil knows, they hate him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, your feedback is appreciated!  
This is from the Mask AU series I'm doing on Tumblr, @yalltookmyurlideas. There's more world building and whatnot over there!!  
Feel free to ask question in the comments, I'll address them in another chapter!


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